Trucks carried 9.7 billion tons of goods in 2013, or 69.1 percent of domestic freight, according to American Trucking Associations (ATA). Trucking is the lifeline of American commerce.

Companies spend a lot of time and money recruiting and training drivers. The turnover rate across the industry for large truckload carriers was 97 percent in the third quarter of 2014, according to ATA. The turnover rate for small truckload fleets was 94 percent, while less-than-truckload carriers reported 13 percent turnover.

"Certainly in the industry competitiveness for drivers is approaching record levels," said Barb Kornowske, director of human resources for Paper Transport Inc. of Ashwaubenon.

Wisconsin is one of the country's largest manufacturing states and is midway between the coasts, each of which contributes to making the state a home for multiple trucking companies.

"We've got some of the largest motor carriers in the world right here in the state of Wisconsin," Gov. Scott Walker said during a recent visit to WEL Cos. in Ledgeview. "Eleven or 12 of the top motor carrier companies in the United States are in ... Wisconsin."

According to the TruckingInfo.net website, there are 15.5 million commercial trucks on American roads, 2 million of which are tractor-trailer rigs. There are an estimated 3.5 million truck drivers and 1.2 million companies, 97 percent of which operate 20 or fewer trucks.

There are many jobs in the industry, such as driver supervisors, customer service representatives, warehouse workers and mechanics. Job opportunities within a company are varied, as well, said Cherie Boushka, a customer service representative at Schneider in Ashwaubenon. She started in Schneider's brokerage division, worked in the logistics and specialized divisions and now is a van/truckload customer service representative, where she works with customers to schedule pickup and delivery of loads, monitors loads in transit and more.

"If you are somebody who enjoys putting puzzles together, if you enjoy a challenge, if you want to be busy every minute of the day, this is the job for you," Boushka said.

But drivers are the key.

Greg Swift is going on 24 years with Schneider and is an early inductee in Schneider's Haul of Fame, which recognizes drivers who've driven safely for more than 3 million miles or 20 consecutive years. He received a teaching degree after high school, but found substitute teaching in Milwaukee was not enough to support his young family, so became a driver instead.

Swift has been to 48 states and several provinces of Canada and had memorable experiences, such as driving Wheaties Super Bowl boxes to Buffalo — and returning them after the Bills lost — delivering ink for dollar bills to Massachusetts and driving in enormous underground storage tunnels near Kansas City.

"If I didn't drive truck, I wouldn't be able to see all these things," he said.

He's on a dedicated route now, which means his trips and time at home are more predictable.

"That's probably the biggest challenge in our industry is home time," he said. "There are guys and gals that can stay on the road a little longer than others."

CLOSE

State of Opportunity: For a truck drivers, the appeal is the ability to work outside of a traditional office environment, be independed and 'their own boss.' (Feb. 2015)
Kyle Bursaw

Getting home critical

Companies go to great lengths to address at-home concerns. They still need over-the-road drivers willing to be out for long stretches, but many routes are designed to get people home as often, or at least as reliably, as possible.

"When somebody comes into this work, it is probably one of the most challenging things. The rigors of the road, the traffic, the congestion, but ultimately it is being separated from family and friends that some folks find too challenging," said Greg Koepel, vice president of workforce development and administration for Roehl Transport Inc. in Marshfield.

With that in mind, companies try to understand the needs of their drivers rather than shoehorn them into routes. Todd Jadin, a senior vice president at Schneider, said more predictability is an expectation of workers.

"If we have a driver, how do we fit the network around his needs? It doesn't matter what the network is if you don't have the drivers," said Ben Schill, director of operations for Paper Transport. "The traditional trucking lifestyle is not being accepted by the younger generation. You can either try to find the gems or change your model."

Multiple skills required

Drivers require a commercial drivers license. Physical screening and drug testing can be performed before hiring. Companies in most cases provide additional training and often require drivers to stay with the company for a set period in return. It helps reduce turnover, but as drivers gain experience they become valuable recruitment targets.

"It is relatively low-risk for them to move from one company to another because there are jobs available in the industry," Jadin. "It comes down to what type of environment are you creating for that individual so they want to stay with your company?"

Besides being safe, drivers need strong communications and organizational skills, the ability to work alone, self-motivation and accountability.

"We are looking for people with a good attitude toward work and have a comfort level working as part of a distributed workforce, not surrounded by other employees, without direct supervision," Koepel said.

Trip planning is an important skill, Swift said. Knowing where to get fuel, where to take rest breaks and where to spend the night aren't spur of the moment decisions because big trucks can't be parked everywhere.

"It's like football clock management," he said. "You have 14 hours to complete your mission. If you don't have a game plan, you are not going to fare well."

Getting better routes

New drivers might have run the less-desirable routes first, though with turnover approaching 100 percent the opportunity to change to better routes can be frequent.

"Most of the early opportunities in any driver's carrier tend to be in some over-the-road environment. Once you get your driver legs under you, you have more opportunity for predictable jobs," said Todd Jadin, a senior vice president at Schneider.

Driver pay can range from $35,000 to $70,000, depending on company, route, overtime and other factors.

"There are people who are highly motivated to do this work because of all the enjoyment it provides. You are very much your own boss out there most of the time. You are moving across the county and get exposed to this great nation," Koepel said.

Companies seek every means to connect with workers, including newspaper ads, job websites, word of mouth and social media. Companies post job opportunities on Facebook and seek to attract military veterans, who have many of the skills drivers need.

"We are very strong in the digital and social media spaces," Koepel said. "We use some print media in selected markets; sometimes radio and other means. We enlist our employees to help us in that effort."

Buy Photo

A Schneider truck.(Photo: Evan Siegle/Press-Gazette Media)

Keeping connected

They also try to keep workers connected with one another. Advances in technology have made that and other tasks easier. Paper Transport is looking at putting tablets in all its trucks to make it easier for drivers to connect. Millennials perfer to work in teams, while drivers tend to be alone on the road, Kornowske said.

"We've tried to combat that by building community (among drivers) with social media," Schill said.

Support jobs turn over far less often, but also provide a wide range of choices and opportunity for advancement.

Jolene Knoll is a driver business leader at Schneider after starting as a customer service representative. Her job is to be the conduit between drivers and everyone else in the company.

"This is where I say it went from being a job to blossoming into a career. It's a role where you have a lot coming at you. You have to prioritize," she said. "There is a lot of self-managing. You need to be a strong problem-solver and be goal driven. We each have our metrics we have to meet."

Knoll and Boushka are reflective of Schenider's promote-from-within philosophy, as is Jadin, who's had 14 jobs in his 30 years with the company.

"With variety comes opportunity," Jadin said.

Varied support jobs

Knoll joined Schneider out of high school. Her first year with the company she also took business management classes at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College before deciding to focus on work.

"Don't be afraid to start at an entry-level position. It will give you a good base to (move up). There is a lot of knowledge to attain. I am forever learning," she said.

Boushka's father worked in the transportation industry, but when she was hired by Schneider she expected to be there five years. It's been 22.

"I was an assistant manager at a couple of retail establishments. I liked doing it, but the opportunity for advancement wasn't there," she said. "With Schneider there are a multitude of opportunities. It seems like you have a new job every couple of years if you want to."

Swift, 46, said he'll stop driving when he hits 4 million miles, which he expects will take four years more. He said it's hard to imagine how earlier drivers could drive as far as they did, given the improvement in equipment.

Better equipment

"They were literally sitting on benches. The truck I have now drives nicer than any car I ever had. The truck frame itself is on suspension, the cab is on another air-ride suspension and the seat has all these suspensions."

When he hits his goal he'd like to return to his roots, maybe teaching at Schneider's driving academy.

"I told my wife I would stay at home. I could still drive, but there also is the training center. That would fit right in line with what I originally set out to do," he said.

If he wants to keep driving, the jobs will be there.

"Drivers are always going to be needed. Freight is only going to go up," Koepel said. "The population is going to grow. How will goods get to stores? It will be on trucks."

— rryman@greenbaypress gazette.com and follow him on Twitter @RichRymanPG or on Facebook at Richard Ryman-Press-Gazette. Contact him at (920) 431-8342.

Dave Luepke, a five-year veteran at Paper Transport Inc., sits in the cab of his truck. Luepke is a regional driver whose routes are within 500 miles of home. Trucking companies try to develop routes that will make at-home time more predictable.(Photo: Submitted)